1. Introduction
Mangosteens are one of the major fresh produce products exported from Thailand to many countries such as China, Taiwan, Japan, etc. At present, there is a problem with inequality of supply and demand.
This indicates that there is a limitation in the logistics and supply chain of mangosteens in Thailand. Mangosteen production is seasonal and fragile; in each region, fresh mangosteens can be marketed for only for a few months each year.
Fortunately, mangosteens are grown in two parts of Thailand, the south and the east. Hence, they can be distributed over a longer period of time, because mangosteens from the east are harvested before those from the south.
The logistics management is difficult because of the perishability and fragility of mangosteens.
The stakeholders in the supply chain must be careful during the harvesting, grading, handling, and transporting to consumers.
This increases the logistics cost to the stakeholders.
If the upstream stakeholders handle mangosteens properly but the downstream ones do not, then the quality will deteriorate quickly before delivery to consumers.
Another problem is that the price of mangosteens fluctuates due to several factors such as supply, demand, selling season, quality, etc.
The price of premium-grade mangosteens can be up to ten times that of the lower grade. This encourages farmers to produce the premium grade.
However they are very difficult to produce, for reasons which include climate variables, disease, insects, labor shortage, insufficient funding, and inadequate harvesting technology.
There is wastage during harvest and postharvest as well. Factors such as climate, disease and insects are difficult to control.
Hence, the present focus is on the improvements that could be made to logistics management, such as by reducing waste, which would bring additional benefits to stakeholders, especially farmers.
1. IntroductionMangosteens are one of the major fresh produce products exported from Thailand to many countries such as China, Taiwan, Japan, etc. At present, there is a problem with inequality of supply and demand. This indicates that there is a limitation in the logistics and supply chain of mangosteens in Thailand. Mangosteen production is seasonal and fragile; in each region, fresh mangosteens can be marketed for only for a few months each year. Fortunately, mangosteens are grown in two parts of Thailand, the south and the east. Hence, they can be distributed over a longer period of time, because mangosteens from the east are harvested before those from the south.The logistics management is difficult because of the perishability and fragility of mangosteens. The stakeholders in the supply chain must be careful during the harvesting, grading, handling, and transporting to consumers. This increases the logistics cost to the stakeholders. If the upstream stakeholders handle mangosteens properly but the downstream ones do not, then the quality will deteriorate quickly before delivery to consumers. Another problem is that the price of mangosteens fluctuates due to several factors such as supply, demand, selling season, quality, etc.The price of premium-grade mangosteens can be up to ten times that of the lower grade. This encourages farmers to produce the premium grade. However they are very difficult to produce, for reasons which include climate variables, disease, insects, labor shortage, insufficient funding, and inadequate harvesting technology. There is wastage during harvest and postharvest as well. Factors such as climate, disease and insects are difficult to control.
Hence, the present focus is on the improvements that could be made to logistics management, such as by reducing waste, which would bring additional benefits to stakeholders, especially farmers.
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